Inspection of SDO Offices - some tips

• Huge cash balance is undesirable. In unaviodable situations like cash drawn for Election Vehicle payment, honorium, compensation for disaster relief, bird flu etc not likely to be disbursed immediately as the list is incomplete or disputed; it is better to keep liquid cash in the form of bank instrument. What DDO can do is to prepare draft of liquid cash not likely to be disbursed in a month's time in small amounts for easy encashment. Treasury branch of banks don't charge for this.
• No self drawn cheque should be kept uncashed, rather, cash should be disbursed early.
• Undelivered cheques list can be put on nottice board each month.
• All bills of suppliers/ vendors must be claimed within two months of supply and noted down in pending bill register serially so that payments are made on availability of funds on first claimed first payment basis. Bills of fuel charges/ hire charges of vehicle must also be claimed and recorded in the same way.
• Caste certificate application disposal is good and appreciated. SDOs must cheque the time taken at BDO office, GP for enquiry, submission to SDO office after Inspector's signature, time taken by SDO office. It is noted that general time taken at BDO's end is more than two months, even four months. Again in SDO office it takes more than four weeks. School level camp performance is not very good.
• Executive Magistrate court case disposal quality, order writing and NGR case investigation/ inquiry has further scope to improve. SDO must also hear cases under preventive sections of CrPC.
• Public grievance through mass hearing needs to be started in all Subdivisions. Tehatta result of 13 cases on single day mass hearing is appreciated.
• Unadjusted advances of Panchayat Election funds, Loksabha elections, relief funds and bird flu is a big financial irregularity noticed in SDO offices. Treasury should not pass the bills without written undertaking by DDO that adjustment of more than 60 days advances shall be done by next month. Most of the audit paras are related on this issue.
• EROs must personally check maintenance of continuous updation register once a month and ensure that the processes are followed as per guidelines.
• Stock of blankets/ chidren garments in SDO offices must be distributed well before the winter, instead keeping these articles for decay.
• Registers related to allotments, suballotment etc must be updated and signed by DDOs.

ICDS recruitment Examinations to be conducted by SDOs - Maintain strict Secrecy of Question papers

Exams are scheduled from next week onwards. SDOs were directed to set the question papers and also to do decoding of answer scripts. Now, we are getting requests from MLAs and others that question papers must be personally handled by SDOs, without sharing/ involving CDPOs. It is also requested that code number of answer scripts must be handled by SDOs personally so that it is not known to any member of recruitment panel.

At the time of preparing the list of persons qualified to be called for interview, only the code number should be supplied to CDPO for intimation to candidates without disclosing the actual marks obtained in written exams. I hope SDOs have made arrangements for the purpose and ensured that these sensitive matters are dealt by them personally. No complaints/ litigation on recruitment process is expected. All the best.

Inspection of SDO offices

I'll do inspection of SDO Tehatta office on 18.11.2009 as scheduled. Inspection of SDO Ranaghat on 21st November and Sadar on 23rd Nov as scheduled earlier. Kalyani on return of SDO from leave.

2. We will convene meeting about implementation of new order of BPL ration card next week. Only SDOs, Food officials, Karmadhyakshya of Panchayat Samities and BIOs shall be invited. ADM D to issue notices. Tentative date 24.11.2009.

Share information on representations of Political parties/ other organisations with superior authorities

Deputations by Political parties and their affiliated organisations, social activists and Civil Society groups are held on day to day basis in BDO/ SDO offices and DM office. It is generally noted that written representations of the deputationists are forwarded to superior authorities for onward transmission to Govt.

There are many issues raised during the mass deputation which are not mentioned in written submissions. It is felt necessary that the officer taking the deputation must take note of specific issues/ allegations of inaction by the Govt authorities and must send a separate note to the next superior authorities point wise. SDOs may compile common points from all the blocks and thereafter do take steps to redress the issues.

Similarly, Officers at the district, mainly ADMs must also take notes on points raised and communicate to concerned authority who is required to redress the issues.

It is also desirable that information about mass deputations of more than 500 people must also be intimated to superior authorities over phone/ email on the same day for information, which is generally communicated to DM Nadia next day by DIB.

SDOs must have noticed that deputations at Block/ GP level gives information on functioning of the administration and also provides important inputs about demonstrations/ road blockades etc which may disturb the law & order of an area. Therefore, a close watch on such activities, particularly of major political parties, may be helpful in maintenance of peace. Any information about corruption/ financial irregularities by GPs/ Offices made available in the deputations must be followed up with firm decisions on specifics, otherwsie it tarnishes the image of the officer receiving the deputation, giving an impression of either inaction due to biasness or partisan attitude.

I am surprised to note that information on major incidents in the rural areas does not reach SDOs in most of the cases. Police generally do not inform BDO or SDO unless there is need for intervention of BDO/ SDO to resolve the issue of blockade/ ghero, executive magistrate presence required etc. What can be altrenative ?

GP Prodhans/ Political parties can be the best available source of information, if BDO can develop a mechanism. They are the first to get information in most of the cases. Sometimes, GP Prodhans keep BDO informed but information is not passed on upward considering it either trivial or must have been tackled by BDO at his level. In most of cases, Prodhan is aware but does not pass on information to BDO as because there is no request made on personal level. Can all BDOs develop a system of getting information from GP Prodhans/ Upa Prodhans on daily incidents related to law & order? Please take initiative, I am sure you will succed.

They are the source of information to media, which gets information before police in large number of cases. This can be explained with the fact that blogsite maintained by some of the media personnel in Nadia updates incidents within one to two hours of its happening, which is more faster than information from formal channel, in most of the cases. Those who are interested can log on to www.newsfromnadia.blogspot.com. It's better to be informed from informal channel, instead of reading in newspaper next day.

Can I expect SDOs/ BDOs to further strenthen information sharing arrangements?